Motor-efficiency-indicating device



Dec. 13, 1932. J. B. HAMBLEN ETAL MOTOR EFFICIENCY INDICATING DEVICE Filed octf'?. 1929v 2 sheets-sheet '1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. B. HAMBLEN ET AL MOTOR EFFIIENCY INDICATING DEVICE Filed Oct. '7. 1929 :31777 3% C) enseru y.

atented ec. i3, 132

J'ENN'INGS B. BLEN, OF WHITIN'G, INDINA, AND WEBSTER B. KAY, 0F CHICAGQ,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 JENNINGS vIB. -HAMBLEN, HAROLD V. ATWELL AND WEB- v v STER B. KAY, TRUs'rEEs MOTOR-EFFICIENCY-INDICATING DEVICE Application led October 7, 1929. Serial No. 398,016.

This invention relates to motor-eiiicie'ncyindicating apparatus, and is more particularly adapted for indicating, in motor-propelled vehicles, the distance moved per unit quantity of iuid fuel consumed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide, in a fluid operated motor, simple and effective gage means for indicating continuously the eiiciency of the motor. Another object is to provide, in a motor-propelled vehicle, means for indicating, at any particular Ainstant, the rate of movement 0f the vehicle per unit of fuel consumed. Another object is to provide integrating 'apparatus of simple and staunch construction which may be employed in connection with a fluid-propelled vehicle for indicating the amount of fuel consumed per degree 'or rate of movement of a particular moving part of the vehicle. further object is to provide means which will enable the operator of a motor vehicle to detect immediately any decrease in eiiciency of the motor, and which will also guide him in making adjustments or repairs necessary to maintain the motor eliiciency at highest possible point. Another ob]` ect is to provide means which will enable an operator of a Huid-propelled vehicle to ascertain the speed at which the vehicle may be driven with lowest consumption of fluid. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention is fully described'in the following specication and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic view of assembled apparatus in which my invention may be practiced; Fig. 2 is a broken section view of an enlarged conduit illustrated in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig.

2; and Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view of apparatus embodying a modified form of my invention.

In the illustration given, numeral 1 represents a fuel conduit leading 'from a supply tank (not shown) to a motor (not shown).

Numeral 2 represents an enlarged portion of the-conduit, which may be interposed at any point in line 1 between the supply tank and the motor. In a gasoline automobile, it is from the inlet portion 4 thereof to the outlet l portion 5. Within case 3, and spaced therefrom by spacers 6, is a relatively long and large core member 7, preferably cylindrical in shape, which is closed and which forms, together with spacers 6, an annular conduit 8 through which the fuel may pass. The core member 7 may be a solid body or, if desired, it may be a hollow cylindrical. body having its ends closed to prevent fuel entering it.

As illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3,` around core member 7 is wound an electric resistance elementi)- having one terminal l() and another terminal 11 connected to wires leading to a generator or magneto 12.

The magneto or generator l2 may be connected to any moving part of the vehicle in any suitable manner. Preferably, it is connected to an axle of a car, or to the transmission, or to some other part, the rotation of which `will indicate accurately the rate of movement of the vehicle. If desired, the parts may be so constructed as to employ the moving part of the car as the armature or connections may be made between the moving partof the car and a separate magneto or generator unit. If desired, the armature of the generator may be suitably connected by a -exible shaft to the transmission of the car in the same manner as the speedometer is connected.

Instead of employing a separate generator for this purpose, the main generator of the vehicle, or any other current giving source, the power output of which is a direct function of the speed of the car, may be employed.

generated by the current passing through reif sistance element 9. will have a direct relation to the speed of the vehicle or to some moving part thereof. 'v

t will be observed that fuel passing through the annular conduit 8 will be heated by electric resistance element 9. To measure the temperature rise of the fluid, any suitable temperature indicating apparatus may With the construction described, the heat be em loyed. In the illustration given, a

Ymultip e thermo-couple having leads 13 and 14 is emplo ed, wthjunctions on theinlet side of con uit 2 at 15 and near the outlet end ofv tube` 2 at 16. A millivolt-meter 17 is employed in connection with the thermocou le to indicaterthe tru'e temperature rise of t e fluid passing through conduit 8. The

' scale upon millivolt-meter 15 may be graduated to showv the distance travelled per unit quantity of fuel consumed.

l In the operation of the device, the fluid passing through conduit 1 and the annular conduit 8 is. sub]l ected'toheat from the electric resistance element 9, the heat being proportional to the speed of the vehicle, or a moving part thereof. The terminals of multiple thermo-couple at 15 are at the temperature of the liquid before being subjected to heat,

while the terminals at .16 are at the temperature of the Huid which has passed through conduit 8. The tem erature rise is indicated Vby millivolt-meter 1 the scale graduations thereof being modified to indicate distance -or speed per unit quantity of fuel consumed.

Since the resistance of the element 9 is constant, the heat developed therein will be proportional to the voltage impressed by the generator and, hence, will. bear a definite re-l ation to the speed of the car or one of its moving parts.

Since this heat is transferred directly to the gasoline or other fluid flowing past the element 9, the temperature of the fluid will be hi her at the outlet than at the inletl of cham r or conduit 2. However, it is obviwill be influenced also by ous that the temperature rise 'of the iuid the rate of flow or volume of the fluid as well as b the rate of heat iniiuence, increasing with ecreasing flow at constant rate of heat input, and also increasing with increasin heat input at con- I stent flow. The result o these effects is to give a tem erature rise in the gasoline, or

other fuel owing through conduit 8, whichv bears a definite relation to they rate of movement of the vehicle or one of its parts and to the unit quantity of fuel consumed.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. if

the iuid fuel passes' through line 1 into'n enlarged chamber or condult 18. The 'chamber' 18 is dividedv into three partsz .by two in'-,

termediate -baliles or discs 19 and 20, both bafiles Ybeing perforated to permit the iow ofl liquidtherethrough. The inlet chamber 21 houses a bulb 22 adapted to contain fluid' and the. outlet chamber 23 contains a similar bulb 24. The intermediate chamber 25' houses a coref,.and resistance l element similar to` the corre ending parts described in connection with a ig's.f1, 2 and 3. Spacers 26 or suitable means may be employed for maintainlng bulbs 22, 24'and the'core member in 'ppsltlon to provide annular conduits 2,7. e conduit 18 is provided with insulated walls in from the lwhich is telescopically received within tube 33 and which is also provided with a vertical post member 36, the tubular extension 33 being provided with a slot which ermits reciprocation of member 36. Surrouiiding the bellows members 30 and 32 isma casing 37 which may be of any suitable shape or construction. Pivotally secured to casing 37 is an indicator 38. Posts ,34 and 36 may be connected by springs 39 to v indicator 38. Adjustment screws 40 and 41 may be employed to change the tension on springs 39. The upper portion of casing 37 is provided with a scale which is graduated to indicate rate of movement of vehicle per unit quantity of fuel conspmed. i Y

a In the operation of the modified form of apparatus, the bellows, bulbs and fluid conduits therebetween are filled with some suitable fluid having a high co-efiicient ofexpansion, such as, for example, toluene. As the fuel is passed through chamber 21, the fluid in bulb 22 is subjected to the temperature iniuence thereof. The material in bulb 24 is subected to the temperature influence of the fue after it has passed through the perforated baille 19 and the annular conduit about the electric resistance element. The expansion 4of the material in the bulbs and bellows thus reflects thejtrue change in temperature of the fuel after it has passed through cham-` ber 25 and, by means of the indicating mechanism described, the mileage r gallon, or distance per unit quantity of el consumed, will be designated on the graduated scale.

While we have described particular tempgrature-change-indicating ap aratus,.it will l* understood that equivalent orms or modifi'cations thereof may be used without departa s irit of the invention. -will also obvious that, while the invention has been described in connectionwithV a movin vehicle, such as, for example, an automobile, it may be em loyed with vehicles such as airplanes, boats, ocomotives, and the izo like. It is likewise apparent that it may beV used with stationary engines'or motors to in dicate the amount of-.work vperformed per unit of fuel consumed.

e While we have described the -operation of our measuring device as depending on an electric current roduced by a generator, it should be un erstood that we may operate our device byacurrent obtained from an' other source, providing, of course, thatsu current vary regularly with the work done by the engine.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended.

. indicating the rate of movement of vehicle per unit quantity of fuelconsumed.

2. In an eiiiciency indicator for motor vehicles, a fuel supply, a conduit through which astream of fuel is supplied to the motor, heating means associated with a moving part of said vehicle and adapted to heat sai-d stream, the degree of heat bearing a pre-determined relation to the movement of said vehicle part, and means for indicating the rate of movement of vehicle per unit quantity of fuel consumed.

3. In an eiiciency indicator for motor vehicles, a fuel supply,a conduit through which a stream of fuel is supplied to the motor, an electric resistance element associated with said conduit and adapted to heat said stream,

means associated with a moving part of said vehicle adapted to supply a current to said resistance element, said current having a predetermined relation to t-he speed of said moving part, and means for indicating the rate of movement of vehicle per unit quantity of fuel consumed.

4. In an efficiency indicator for motor vehiv cles, a fuel supply, a conduit through which a stream of fuel is supplie-d to the motor, heating means associated with a moving part of said vehicle and adapted to heat said stream, the degree of said heat having a fixed relation to movement of said vehiclepart, and expansion means'contacting with said stream and adapted to indicate the rate of movement of vehicle per unitquantity of fuel consumed.

5. In an eiliciency indicator for motor vehicles, a fuel supply, a conduit through which .a stream of fuel is supplied to the motor,

heating means associated with, a moving part of said vehicle, stream, the degree' of said heating having a xed 4vrelation to movement. of said vehlcle part, expansion means, and means for indieating the temperature change of said stream, sald means comprising Huid-filled bulbs ad- ]acent said heating means and apparatus adapted to designate upon a scale the diference in the expansion of Huid in the bulbs.

and adapted to heat said- 6. In an eliciency indicator for motor vehcles, a fuel supply, a conduit through which a stream of fuel is supplied to the motor, heating means associated with a moving part of said vehicle and adapted to heat said stream, the degree of said heating having a fixed relation Ato movement of said vehicle part, and expansion means for indicating the temperature-change of said stream comprising fluidcontaining bulbs located on the opposite sides of said heating means, fluid expansion bellows communicating with said bulbs, and means associated with said bellows for indicating the difference in the expansion of said bellows.

7.` The method of measuring the movement of a motor vehicle per unit quantity of fuel consumed, which comprises heating a portion of the fuel stream flowing to said motor, the degree of said heating bearing a fixed relation to the speed of a moving part of said vehicle, measuring the temperature-change of said fuel stream, and indicating said change in units of movement of the vehicle per unit quantity of fuel consumed.

8. Apparatus for indicating at every instant the eiiciency of an engine at that instant, comprising a fuel supply, a'conduit l through which a stream flows from said supply to said engine, an electric resistance ele- A ment associated with said conduit and adapted to heat said stream, means associated with a moving part driven by said engine adapted to supply current to said resistance element, said current having a fixed relation to the speed of said moving part, and visual means for indicating the temperature changel of such stream.

9. In an efficiency indicator for a motor, a fuel supply, a con-duit leading from said supply to the motor, means for changing the temperature of fuel in said conduit, the degree of said temperature change being proportional to the speed of a moving part driven by said motor, and means for indicatmg the rate of movement of the motor' 

